78

52

73.0

71.1

69.4

.561

.541

90.8%

9.2%

100.0%

1.1%

1.0%

How do you know when things are going your way? Your finesse pitcher with long hair hits one over the wall and you win a game because of that.

2

77

50

75.0

75.7

74.0

.594

.575

86.0%

13.8%

99.8%

-0.1%

-0.1%

In solidarity with Stephen Strasburg, GM Mike Rizzo has decided he will step down temporarily from the job of GM and rest. He'll miss the playoffs but should be back from Fiji before next Spring Training.

3

76

52

75.4

79.0

78.2

.603

.622

97.3%

2.6%

99.9%

0.0%

0.1%

MLB.com says Adrian Beltre has hit only seven homers this month. Sure, that's a lot, but I'm pretty sure it's also undercounting by a factor of a thousand.

4

74

54

74.2

75.5

76.5

.586

.606

92.7%

6.3%

99.0%

-0.6%

-1.0%

The Yankees have filed a protest over last night's game as closer Rafael Soriano apparently opted out of his contract nano-seconds before Colby Rasmus hit a three-run-homer. Soriano opted back in shortly thereafter.

5

73

56

73.9

72.0

72.1

.564

.544

14.0%

77.7%

91.7%

-1.5%

1.9%

It's easy to make fun of the Braves running Paul Maholm out there, but much harder when Maholm pitches well. Please, Paul Maholm, pitch worse next time so I can make my dumb joke and go to bed on time. Thanks!

6

71

57

67.5

67.2

66.7

.532

.512

77.1%

4.3%

81.4%

5.5%

16.7%

Giants hitters have been drilled by pitches 22 times this season, last in baseball and 51 times fewer than the MLB-leading Brewers.

7

71

57

77.2

77.7

75.1

.588

.568

9.1%

75.2%

84.3%

6.3%

34.5%

The greatest mistake every team in baseball but the Cardinals made in the last 10 years was not signing Matt Holliday.

8

71

56

71.2

68.1

67.8

.547

.567

62.1%

22.5%

84.6%

-6.4%

2.0%

The White Sox not only lost to the Orioles but to an Orioles team led by Nate McClouth and Lew Ford. That's like losing a drag race to a toddler on a big wheel.

9

70

58

72.1

70.6

71.6

.555

.575

5.5%

55.2%

60.7%

-1.4%

-22.8%

Tampa is 18-22 in one-run games. They're also the fourth team in the AL East with a sub-.500 record in one-run games. The outlier? Baltimore.

10

70

57

68.1

65.4

66.1

.531

.551

1.9%

40.1%

42.0%

4.2%

18.1%

Brett Anderson came back from Tommy John surgery (his second start, actually) and shut down the Indians. In fairness though, Cleveland didn't have Johnny Damon or Casey Kotchman.

11

70

57

58.7

55.3

57.1

.475

.495

1.8%

15.4%

17.2%

2.3%

5.0%

All you need to know about the Orioles' playoff chances: Yesterday Lew Ford hit sixth and was the designated hitter. (Yes, they won, SHHH!)

12

69

58

66.9

69.1

70.0

.541

.561

37.9%

38.2%

76.1%

2.1%

5.2%

The Tigers have 45 stolen bases on the year. That's 0.35 bases stolen a game. If a game goes by and the Tigers don't steal a base, Miguel Cabrera has been known to take a chainsaw to the corner of a bag or two.

13

69

60

68.0

66.8

66.4

.524

.504

21.4%

6.6%

28.0%

-7.6%

-14.1%

Josh Beckett gave up a homer to the first hitter he faced in a Dodgers uniform, and Los Angeles lost 10-0. Beckett gave up only three of the 10, but the rest were probably his fault somehow anyway.

14

68

60

65.1

64.2

62.6

.508

.488

0.1%

12.8%

12.9%

-2.6%

-28.8%

Ah, losing, that most lonely yet familiar and comforting feeling.

15

66

62

66.5

69.5

70.5

.532

.552

0.8%

19.6%

20.4%

-0.2%

-3.3%

This is your daily Mike Trout is Awesome note: Trout has 62.3 BVORP to lead everyone. For reference, second-place Buster Posey clocks in with 51.2.